City seeking feedback on public engagement efforts

Medicine Hat – The City of Medicine Hat is working to improve public engagement efforts and is looking to the community for input, including an online survey set to launch today.

The process will gather feedback on what topics or decisions residents are most interested in; the best way to promote public participation opportunities; and how to make them more accessible, inclusive, convenient, and meaningful. The information will be used to develop a public participation framework that all employees will use in their public engagement activities.

“Community expectations on public participation opportunities are growing and City Council is keen to see more effective and meaningful opportunities for the community to engage in problem solving and decision making,” says Colleen Graham, director of corporate communications. “Currently, the City’s public engagement efforts are developed by multiple departments without a standard approach. This framework will establish a consistent method for employees when developing and coordinating their public engagement activities.”

The framework will be established in accordance with the International Association of Public Participation’s (IAP2) standards and guidelines.

The online survey is posted on the City’s Shape Your City website and will remain open until April 5, 2023. Survey respondents will also have the option to volunteer for a focus group and up to 30 volunteers will be randomly selected to participate in a focus group at Big Marble Go Centre on April 20, 2023.

Take the survey and learn more at Shape Your City, City of Medicine Hat.

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For media inquiries, please contact: media@medicinehat.ca